Practical steps when choosing an area rug

So you've decided to buy an area rug for your home. Spend some time studying your room before buying, to be sure when you hit the shops you know what you are looking for.

Here are our best tips and advise on buying area rugs that you should know before shopping

Is it a heavy traffic area? for example an entrance hall, a passage-way leading between 2 different family areas? Think about the function and therefore the quality and material of the rug you need.

Do you want to cover as much floor as possible or is the rug purely to add color and texture to a room whilst keeping the beauty of the floor itself in view? Know the minimum and maximum size area rug you want to buy.

What is the shape and color of the room? Don't be afraid to place a circular rug under a rectangular coffee table. Or to pick a rug of a different color scheme to brighten a room and then use accessories such as vases, lamps, or throw cushions to high-light your favorite shades of the new rug.

Are you starting a room from scratch? Very often the color and pattern of a rug can inspire the tone and mood of a room. It can give you new ideas for a whole new color palate.

Always inquire about the best way to care for your rug when you make a purchase. Spending a little extra on the correct tools to help your rug stay looking like new is a wise investment.

Size is important. Sometimes a few small rugs in a room can look and work better than one large rug. This idea worked well for me in the playroom where my children wanted different areas to set up different toys and games but still needed a soft rug to play on. And I needed to keep certain toys such as chalk boards and paintings easels away from rugs altogether. I bought 5 small colorful rugs of different shapes and scattered them throughout the room. The children loved it. The rugs became stepping stones and pirates islands and games in themselves.

You don't necessarily want the cheapest rug. What you do want is value for money. Decide on your budget and look for area rugs in the price range you are willing to pay.

Remember a sale price is not always the best price. Shop around. If you find an area rug you like make a note of the manufacturer and model number and compare prices in another shop.

Look online. Very often you can find better prices. Compare prices and offers. If you decide to buy online, be sure you know exactly what you are buying and check the delivery costs, delivery time, and return policies.

Always are about refund and return policies, especially on sale items and clearance merchandise.

Ask about sale adjustments. If you find the same area rug in a different store a few days later, will the shop refund the difference in price to you?

It's best to have the room decorated and furnished the way you want it before purchasing an area rug. The area rug should be the last item of furnishing added to the room, and can be viewed properly when all the desired surrounding furnishings are in place.

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